The Islington Hotel

The Islington Hotel, just outside of Hobart, in Tasmania, is the sort of thing that’s become an antipodean specialty of late — when it comes time to get good and lost, while still hanging on to the urbane comforts of home, the lodges of New Zealand and the farm houses of rural mainland Australia are the current places to beat.

Tasmania, of course, is somewhere both literally and figuratively between the two, and the Islington is an experience unto itself. Midway between the town of Hobart and the dramatic peak of Mount Wellington, it’s a mid-19th-century Regency-style farm house, but a rather extensively updated one — striking contemporary interiors and a glass-walled addition place it squarely in this century.

Fears of surface without service will prove to be groundless, however. The managers, a married couple, live on-site — so while you’ll go without big-hotel perks like room service (or even a dedicated restaurant) you’re never on your own. There’s a chef on call, serving dinner in that glass conservatory, and Hobart, close at hand, has some surprisingly good restaurants, as well as some low-key nightlife. Of course the nightlife isn’t why you’re here; Tasmania is all about the outdoors, and however sophisticated the lodgings, the rough unspoiled natural beauty is the main attraction.

Please note: The Islington Hotel does not allow children under 16 years old.

How to get there:
The Islington Hotel is approximately 30 minutes from Hobart International Airport.